Learn the rules around final pay and redundancy rights when you lose your job, as well as the obligations your employer has regarding notice periods, accrued benefits, and more.
On this pageNot all employees receive notice of their job ending or are entitled to redundancy pay.
Check your award, enterprise agreement or employment contract and any workplace policies to learn more.
An employment contract or workplace policy cannot provide less than the National Employment Standards, or any award or enterprise agreement that applies.
Before any major changes happen in a workplace, including redundancies, employers should consult with any employees who may be affected. This will usually involve:
Not all workers are entitled to a notice period. These include:
When employment ends for full and part-time workers, employers generally need to provide at least the minimum amount of notice as outlined in the award, enterprise agreement or employment contract.
In most situations, this is based on how long they have worked with that employer.
If eligible employees are not given proper notice, an employer still has to pay for that notice period, even if the employee is no longer working there. This is called payment in lieu of notice.
Redundancy is when an employer doesn’t need an employee’s job to be done by anyone, or if the employer becomes insolvent or bankrupt.
The amount of redundancy, or severance, pay an employee gets is usually based on their period of continuous service with their employer, excluding any unpaid leave.
An employee's final pay must be paid within 7 days of their employment ending, and generally includes:
But not everyone is eligible for redundancy pay if they lose their job, including: